Turnbull Canyon is a 4 mile loop trail located near

Whittier, California Whittier () is a city in Southern California in Los Angeles County, part of the Gateway Cities. The city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 census figure. Whittier was incorporated in ...

and is part of Puente Hills Preserve. It lies in the northern-central part of the preserve, and is an east-west canyon with relatively steep drainage. The canyon has a creek at its bottom that supports a narrow strip of riparian woodland dominated by sycamore trees, while the slopes are covered in coastal sage and native and non-native grasses.

Climate

The climate in Turnbull Canyon is typical of Southern California, semi-arid. Because the Whittier Hills has a relatively close proximity to the ocean, which has an equalizing effect on the climate, it is somewhat cooler here than some of the areas just south of the region. During the winter months, it is not uncommon to see frost on the ground and during summer, it rarely gets hotter than 95 degrees.

History and Legends

In the early Spanish Colonial Period, Several

Tongva The Tongva ( ) are an Indigenous people of California from the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands, an area covering approximately . Some descendants of the people prefer Kizh as an endonym that, they argue, is more historically ...

(Gabrieleño) Indians were supposedly put to death at Turnbull Canyon in the Puente Hills for rebelling against the Spanish and the Franciscan Friars at nearby

Mission San Gabriel Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity * Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

. As a result Turnbul Canyon supposedly had the nickname ' Hotuuknga' (the place of darkness/death). However, after research done by John Garside & Marty Shields, it is believed that this legend is inaccurate. Some rebellious Tongva were killed in the swamps around present day El Monte. The original name of Turnbull Canyon was 'Ahwingna' and the legendary name 'Hotuuknga' actually referred to the hills around

Yorba Linda Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, approximately Ordinal directions, southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at th ...

. Turnbull Canyon was named after Scottish immigrant Robert Turnbull after buying the canyon from Quaker businessmen in Whittier in the 1870s to raise sheep. He later sold the land back to the Quakers in the 1880s for a profit. Turnbull's luck ran out after that; he became a town drunk and was murdered. The Quakers decided to name the canyon after Turnbull in his honor. Oil exploration and drilling began to expand into Turnbull Canyon in the 1890s and a crude dirt road was constructed through the canyon. In November 1900, two oilmen in their wagon were chased out of the canyon by two large cougars as their horses panicked. By 1913, the road was paved for the first time for automobiles. Since then, Turnbull Canyon has developed a strange collection of various myths and urban legends, including tragic murders.

Visitors

Attractions

Turnbull Canyon is known for the view it provides of the Hsi Lai Temple and

Rose Hills Memorial Park Rose Hills Memorial Park is located in Whittier, California. It is currently owned and operated by Service Corporation International (formerly, Loewen Group). It claims to be the largest cemetery in North America. Sites ; Mausoleums * Whittier ...

. It has also been the source of rumors regarding paranormal activities and was the scene of the discovery a then-missing person's body. File:Turnbull Canyon 2.jpg, File:Turnbull Canyon 3.jpg,

References

External links

Puente Hills Preserve Park Map

Puente Hills Preserve Park - activities and homepage

The Puente Hills Preserve: Puente - Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor

The Puente Hills Preserve: Trails Access info.

Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority

Puente Hills Nature Blog
''(archives)'' {{Greater Los Angeles Area, state=collapsed Puente Hills Canyons and gorges of California Landforms of Los Angeles County, California California folklore